NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series-Saturday from VMP
NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES - NORTHEAST DIVISION
VIRGINIA MOTORSPORTS PARK, PETERSBURG, VA.
Saturday, July 15, 2006
MERCIER, TASCA CLAIM WINS IN THE ALCOHOL RANKS, ELIMINATIONS IN OTHER
CLASSES CONTINUE SUNDAY AT VMP
PETERSBURG, Va. - In the second of three days of racing action
at Virginia Motorsports Park in the North vs. South Full Throttle Shootout
event presented by VP Fuels and Hillwood Sales, a round of the NHRA Lucas
Oil Drag Racing Series, competitors in Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol
Funny Car completed eliminations. Racers in the other seven categories will
finish the event on Sunday.
Dan Mercier, the event's No. 2 Top Alcohol Dragster qualifier
from Valley Field, Que., scored the win over defending division champion
Arthur Gallant of Boxboro, Mass. Gallant was the top qualifier. In the
final round, Mercier made a 5.550-second, 257.97 mph pass to cover Gallant's
5.772-second, 237.71 mph effort.
Top Alcohol Funny Car pilot Bob Tasca III earned the win in his
first-ever final-round appearance. The Craston, R.I., resident faced off
against Marc White, Glendale Heights, Ill., in the final. Tasca's
5.820-seocnd, 248.16 mph run matched his first round effort and it was
enough to outrun White's 5.874-seocnd, 248.61 mph pass.
In final qualifying, Comp Eliminator racer Frank Aragona, Old
Bridge, N.J., took over the top spot while in Super Stock, Joseph Franco
III, Babylon, N.Y., held on to his No. 1 position. Cecil Frazier, S.
Easton, Mass., jumped to the No. 1 spot in Stock Eliminator and Ronnie
Davis, Commerce, Ga., came out on top in Top Sportsman qualifying.
Racing continues Sunday at Virginia Motorsports Park. Gates open at 8 a.m.
and eliminations continue at 9 a.m.
Tickets for the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series are $15 each
day. Children under 12 are admitted free.
Virginia Motorsports Park is located approximately 30 minutes
south of Richmond, Va., at 8018 Boydton Plank Road in Petersburg. For more
information call the track, (804) 862-3174, or visit
www.VirginiaMotorsportsPk.com.
The following are Saturday's qualifying results, including
round-by-round eliminations for TAD and TAFC, from the North vs. South Full
Throttle Shootout event presented by VP Fuels and Hillwood Sales at Virginia
Motorsports Park:
TOP ALCOHOL DRAGSTER
Round 1
1) Arthur Gallant, Boxboro, Mass., 5.490, 226.47 def. 8) Dave DeAngelis,
Middlesex, N.J., 6.155, 185.51
2) Dan Mercier, Valley Field, Que., 5.581, 257.38 def. 7) Rich McPhillips,
Phoenixville, Pa., 6.795, 147.84
3) John Finke, Selkirk, N.Y., 5.663, 257.63 def. 6) Richard Bourke, Old
Tappan, N.J., 7.195, 136.46
4) Mike Kosky, Cuddy, Pa., 5.543, 255.97 def. 5) Wayne Morris, Lincoln
University, Pa., 33.887, 50.60
Semifinals
Gallant, 9.326, 85.56 def. Kosky, 9.961, 80.10
Mercier, 5.577, 260.81 def. Finke, 5.637, 258.81
Final
Mercier, 5.550, 257.97 def. Gallant, 5.772, 237.71
TOP ALCOHOL FUNNY CAR
Round 1
9) Mark Billington, Norcross, Ga., '01 Avenger, 5.874, 238.98 def. 1) Frank
Manzo, Morganville, N.J., '06 Monte Carlo, 5.954, 246.66
2) D.J. Cox Jr., Whiteford, Md., '02 Firebird, 5.882, 242.45 def. 7) Frank
Schuster, Chesterfield, N.J., '02 Firebird, 5.917, 242.58
3) Marc White, Glendale Hts., Ill., '04 Firebird, 5.857, 248.02 def. 6)
Mickey Ferro, Stamford, Conn., '01 Camaro, 5.974, 242.06
4) Bob Tasca III, Cranston, R.I., '06 Mustang, 5.820, 247.79 def. 5) Bruce
Mullins, Fredericksburg, Va., '05 Monte Carlo, 6.033, 236.05
Semifinals
White, 8.659, 114.72 def. Cox Jr., broke
Tasca III, 6.114, 240.08 def. Billington, 8.498, 106.31
Final
Tasca III, 5.820, 248.16 def. White, 5.874, 248.61
COMP ELIMINATOR
1) Frank Aragona, Old Bridge, N.J., '32 Bantam, G/EA, 8.513 seconds, -0.587
(under index)
2) Lee Zane, Perry Hall, Md., '32 Bantam, L/AA, 9.200, -0.550
3) Al Ackerman, Saddle Brook, N.J., dragster, F/D, 8.217, -0.503
4) David Rampy, Piedmont, Ala., '32 Bantam, A/EA, 7.414, -0.496
5) Tony Stephenson, Willow Sprgs, N.C., '06 GTO, C/AA, 7.556, -0.494
6) Charlie Greco, Berwyn, Pa., '06 GTO, E/A, 7.922, -0.488
7) Pat Ross, Avon Lake, Ohio, '05 Grand Am, F/A, 8.231, -0.479
8) Sal Biondo, Maspeth, N.Y., '93 Beretta, D/EA, 8.517, -0.473
9) Darren Breaud, Hohenwald, Tenn., '06 Cobalt, G/SMA, 8.989, -0.461
10) Michele Costa, Freehold, N.J., dragster, G/D, 9.213, -0.457
SUPER STOCK
1) Joseph Franco III, N. Babylon, N.Y., '85 Camaro, GT/IA, 10.239 seconds,
-1.261 (under index)
2) Arnie Martel Jr, Tewksbury, Mass., '05 Cobalt, SS/CM, 8.840, -1.110
3) Bucky Hess, Bunker Hill, W.V., '68 Barracuda, SS/AH, 8.743, -1.057
4) Byron Worner, Duncannon, Pa., '96 Camaro, SS/IA, 9.951, -1.049
5) Gary Ewing, Bel Air, Md., '69 Camaro, SS/JA, 10.272, -1.028
6) Brian Oakes, Williamstown, N.J., '69 Camaro, SS/DA, 9.488, -1.012
7) Leon Miranian, Lake George, N.Y., '68 Corvette, SS/DA, 9.490, -1.010
8) Tom Sheehan, Belle Vernon, Pa., '00 Sebring, GT/HA, 10.344, -1.006
9) Norm Hall, Waldorf, Md., '02 Firebird, GT/EA, 9.950, -1.000
10) Andy Fogle, Aiken, S.C., '05 Cavalier, GT/AA, 9.405, -0.995
STOCK ELIMINATOR
1) Cecil Frazier, S. Easton, Mass., '92 Camaro, F/FIA, 11.670 seconds,
-1.280 (under index)
2) Bill Hawk, Manassas, Va., '67 Shelby, B/SA, 10.369, -1.181
3) Victor Guilmino III, Martinsburg, W.V., '71 Mustang, E/SA, 10.888, -1.112
4) Tex Miller, Fayetteville, Pa., '71 Mustang, F/SA, 11.100, -1.050
5) Richard Adkins, Willingboro, N.J., '69 Mustang, A/S, 10.230, -1.020
6) Jim Reid Jr., Hanson, Mass., '87 Camaro, F/FIA, 11.938, -1.012
7) Bud Rowe, Bridgeton, N.C., '90 TransAm, F/FIA, 11.938, -1.012
8) John Gray, Hudson, Mass., '72 Nova, G/SA, 11.303, -0.997
9) Barry Parker, Southwick, Mass., '69 Camaro, B/SA, 10.561, -0.989
10) Wallace Dent, Waldorf, Md., '98 Camaro, B/FIA, 10.728, -0.972
TOP SPORTSMAN
1) Ronnie Davis, Commerce, Ga., '63 Corvette, 6.754 seconds, 209.85 mph
2) Chris Rini, Holmes, N.Y., '02 Neon, 6.939, 200.23
3) Ben Basile, Minotola, N.J., '95 Thunderbird, 6.997, 204.98
4) Tommy Turner, Naples, Fla., '04 Cavalier, 7.010, 199.17
5) Jerry Barker, Fort Valley, Ga., '06 Cobalt, 7.034, 197.42
6) Mike Gardner, Haymarket, Va., '04 Grand Am, 7.042, 200.65
7) Steven DeRosa, Londonderry, N.H., '06 GTO, 7.108, 197.25
8) Scott Cozzali, Mastic, N.Y., '55 Bel Air, 7.170, 190.70
9) Fred Gallo, Shirley, N.Y., '95 Cutlass, 7.174, 196.64
10) Sandy Wilkins, Fuquay Varina, N.C., '01 Camaro, 7.178, 189.52
